Dallas Hires Former Defenseman Benn As Part Of Group Of New Management Members

Former Stars defenseman Jordie Benn has returned to Dallas -- only this time, the newly-retired defenseman is rejoining the Stars organization as a management member.

Stars GM Jim Nill announced Jordie Benn's return as a player development assistant and an American League scout. Benn was one of four hirings announced by Nill, including Bob Emery becoming an amateur scout, Matt Mangene as a pro scout, and Roy Nelson as a physical therapist.

The most recognizable name of the quartet of new hirings is Benn, who announced his retirement as a player in early September. Benn spent six seasons with the Stars, posting 60 assists and 71 goals in 302 career regular-season games with the team. Benn also played for the AHL's Texas Stars, as well as 607 career regular-season NHL games with Dallas, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Minnesota and Toronto.

Elsewhere, Emery joins the Stars after five seasons as Merrimack College's director of men’s ice hockey operations. He also served as the head coach at Plattsburgh State for 30 years, capturing two NCAA Division III national championships. The Somerville, Massachusetts native’s .726 career winning percentage ranks second all-time in NCAA men’s hockey history. Originally selected 208th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1982, Emery played collegiate hockey at Boston College and played professionally in the AHL with the Fredericton Express and Maine Mariners.

Mangene is starting his first season as a pro scout after 10 seasons as a professional hockey player. He played four seasons for the Texas Stars (2014-18) generating 60 assists and 80 points in 206 career games. He most recently played for EC VSV in Austria.

Finally, Nelson begins his first season with the Stars as a physical therapist after spending the 2023-24 year with the University of Minnesota, working with football, men’s and women’s hockey, baseball and women’s soccer players. Before that time, Nelson spent six years in physical therapy positions with the Houston Methodist hospital system.

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